An ancient Roman shipwreck has been discovered in the Ligurian Sea, 20 miles southwest of the island of Tino, at the western end of the Gulf of La Spezia.
The discovery was made by sonar engineer Guido Gay, who has located the ship at 500 meters deep. Renamed Dedalus 21, the vessel is estimated to be dating to the second century B.C. It is 15 meters long and has preserved many precious objects, including hundreds of amphorae of the Republican era, proof, says Gay, of the flourishing maritime trade between France, Spain and Rome, which imported wine, fish and other goods from those areas.
To protect the findings, the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Liguria has issued an order prohibiting fishing and diving activities in the area.
In 2012, again in the area of the island of Tino, Gay had found another Roman shipwreck dated between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, containing numerous amphoraes as well. "Many of the amphoraes from that previous find were unfortunately reduced to fragments. This time, luckily, the site is better preserved."
